Speaker of the California State Assembly

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For information on the Assembly, see California State Assembly.
Speaker of the California State Assembly
Seal of the California State Assembly
Incumbent
Robert Rivas
since June 30, 2023
StyleMister/Madam Speaker (informal)
The Honorable (formal)
AppointerCalifornia State Assembly
Term lengthTwo years, Assembly term limits apply
Inaugural holderThomas J. White
Formation1849

The speaker of the California State Assembly is the presiding officer and highest-ranking member of the California State Assembly, controlling the flow of legislation and committee assignments. The speaker is nominated by the majority party's caucus and elected by the full Assembly typically at the beginning of each two year session. Meanwhile, other floor leaders, such as the majority and minority leaders, are elected by their respective party caucuses according to each party's strength in the chamber. The current speaker is Democrat Robert Rivas of the 29th district.

The speaker formerly had far more power, and was able to issue committee assignments to both parties' members, control State Assembly funds, and had broad administrative authority, but many of these powers were transferred to committee chairs after the speakership of Curt Pringle.[1]

The speaker of the Assembly is also third in the order of succession to the governor of California, after the lieutenant governor and the president pro tempore of the California State Senate.[2][3][4]

List of speakers

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The following is a list of speakers of the California State Assembly. It does not number those individuals who served abbreviated terms or those who served during an extraordinary session called by the governor of California for a narrowly defined agenda.

Speaker Portrait District Party Term of service
1. Thomas J. White Sacramento Unaffiliated 1 December 1849–February 1850
2. John Bigler John Bigler, 2nd Speaker (1850–1851) Sacramento Democratic February 1850–May 1851
3. Richard P. Hammond 7 Democratic January 1852–May 1852
4. Isaac B. Wall 6 Democratic January 1853–May 1853
5. Charles S. Fairfax 15 Democratic January 1854–May 1854
6. William W. Stow 3 Whig January 1855–May 1855
7. James T. Farley James Farley, 7th Speaker (1856) 19 American January 1856–April 1856
8. Elwood T. Beatty 19 Democratic January 1857–April 1857
9. Ninian E. Whiteside 15 Democratic January 1858–April 1858
10. William C. Stratton 17 Democratic January 1859–April 1859
11. Phillip Moore 16 Democratic January 1860–April 1860
12. Ransom Burnell 19 Douglas Democratic January 1861–May 1861
13. George Barstow 8 Republican January 1862–May 1862
14. Tim N. Machin 12 National Union January 1863–April 1863
15. William H. Sears 21 National Union December 1863–April 1864
16. John Yule John Yule, 16th Speaker (1865-1866) 20 National Union December 1865–April 1866
17. Caius T. Ryland Caius Tacitus Ryland, 17th Speaker (1867-1868) 7 Democratic December 1867–March 1868
18. George H. Rogers 8 Democratic December 1869–April 1870
19. Thomas Bowles Shannon Thomas Bowles Shannon, 19th Speaker (1871–1872) 8 Republican December 1871–April 1872
20. Morris M. Estee Morris M. Estee, 20th Speaker (1873–1874) 8 Independent 2 December 1873–March 1874
21. Gideon J. Carpenter Gideon J. Carpenter, 21st Speaker (1875–1876) 23 Democratic December 1875–April 1876
22. Campbell Polson Berry Campbell Berry, 22nd Speaker (1877–1878) 25 Democratic December 1877–April 1878
23. Jabez F. Cowdery Jabez F. Cowdery, 23rd Speaker (1880) 13 Republican January 1880–April 1880
24. William H. Parks William H. Parks, 24th Speaker (1881) 25 Republican January 1881–May 1881
25. Hugh McElroy LaRue Hugh McElroy LaRue, 25th Speaker (1883-1884) 18 Democratic January 1883–May 1884
– William H. Parks William H. Parks, 24th Speaker (1881) 25 Republican January 1885–September 1886
26. William H. Jordan William H. Jordan, 26th Speaker (1887) 55 Republican January 1887–March 1887
27. Robert Howe Robert Howe, 27th Speaker (1889) 25 Democratic January 1889–March 1889
28. Frank Leslie Coombs 22 Republican January 1891–March 1891
29. Frank H. Gould Frank H. Gould 29th speaker (1893) 57 Democratic January 1893–March 1893
30. John C. Lynch 8 Republican January 1895–March 1895
– Frank Leslie Coombs 18 Republican January 1897–March 1897
31. Howard E. Wright Howard E. Wright, 31st speaker (1899) 51 Republican January 1899
32. Alden Anderson 19 Republican January 1899–February 1900
33. Cornelius W. Pendleton Cornelius W. Pendleton, 33rd speaker (1901) 74 Republican January 1901–March 1901
34. Arthur G. Fisk Arthur Fisk, 34th Speaker (1903) 37 Republican January 1903–March 1903
35. Frank C. Prescott Frank C. Prescott, 35th speaker (1905–1906) 76 Republican January 1905–June 1906
36. Robert L. Beardslee Sr. Robert L. Beardslee, 36th speaker (1907–1909) 23 Republican January 1907–November 1909
37. Phillip A. Stanton Phillip A. Stanton, 37th speaker (1909–1910) 71 Republican January 1909–October 1910
38. Arthur Hathaway Hewitt Arthur Hathaway Hewitt, 38th speaker (1911) 8 Republican January 1911–December 1911
39. C. C. Young Clement C. Young, 39th Speaker (1913–1917) 41 Republican, Progressive 3 January 1913–April 1917
40. Henry W. Wright 69 Republican January 1919–April 1921
41. Frank F. Merriam Frank Merriam, 41st Speaker (1923–1926) 70 Republican January 1923–October 1926
42. Edgar C. Levey Edgar Levey, 42nd Speaker (1927–1931) 28 Republican January 1927–May 1931
43. Walter J. Little Walter J. Little, 43rd Speaker (1933–1933) 60 Republican January 1933–July 1933
44. Forsythe Charles Clowdsley 11 Democratic September 1934 (extraordinary session)
45. Edward Craig 75 Republican January 1935–May 1936
46. William Moseley Jones William Jones, 46th Speaker (1937–1938) 51 Democratic January 1937–March 1938
47. Paul Peek 71 Democratic January 1939–June 1939
48. Gordon Hickman Garland Gordon Garland, 48th Speaker (1940–1942) 38 Democratic January 1940–January 1942
49. Charles W. Lyon Charles Lyon, 49th Speaker (1943–1946) 59 Republican January 1943–July 1946
50. Sam L. Collins Sam L. Collins, 50th Speaker (1947-1952) 75 Republican January 1947–August 1952
51. James W. Silliman 34 Republican January 1953–April 1954
52. Luther H. Lincoln 15 Republican January 1955–April 1958
53. Ralph M. Brown 30 Democratic January 1959–September 1961
54. Jesse M. Unruh Jesse M. Unruh, 54th Speaker (1961–1969) 65 Democratic September 1961–January 1969
55. Robert T. Monagan Robert Timothy Monagan, 56th Speaker (1969–1970) 12 Republican January 1969–September 1970
56. Bob Moretti 42 Democratic January 1971–June 1974
57. Leo T. McCarthy Leo T. McCarthy, 57th Speaker (1970–1980) 19/184 Democratic June 1974–November 1980
58. Willie Brown Willie Brown, 58th Speaker (1980–1995) 17/135 Democratic December 2, 1980 – June 5, 1995
59. Doris Allen 67 Republican 6 June 5, 1995 – September 14, 1995
60. Brian Setencich 30 Republican 6 September 14, 1995 – January 4, 1996
61. Curt Pringle Curt Pringle, 61st Speaker (1996) 68 Republican January 4, 1996 – November 30, 1996
62. Cruz M. Bustamante Cruz Bustamante, 62nd Speaker (1996–1998) 31 Democratic December 2, 1996 – February 26, 1998
63. Antonio Villaraigosa 45 Democratic February 26, 1998 – April 13, 2000
64. Robert M. Hertzberg 40 Democratic April 13, 2000 – February 6, 2002
65. Herb J. Wesson, Jr. 47 Democratic February 6, 2002 – February 9, 2004
66. Fabian Núñez Fabian Núñez, 66th Speaker (2004–2008) 46 Democratic February 9, 2004 – May 13, 2008
67. Karen Bass 47 Democratic May 13, 2008 – March 1, 2010
68. John Pérez 46/537 Democratic March 1, 2010 – May 12, 2014
69. Toni Atkins 78 Democratic May 12, 2014 – March 7, 2016
70. Anthony Rendon 63 Democratic March 7, 2016–June 30, 2023
71. Robert Rivas 29 Democratic June 30, 2023-present
  • ^1 The First California Legislature was nonpartisan.
  • ^2 Estee was also a Republican, but he was elected to the term in which he was Speaker as an independent.
  • ^3 Young was elected as a Republican during the 40th and 42nd sessions (1913 and 1917), but a Progressive during the 41st session (1915).
  • ^4 McCarthy's 19th District was renumbered the 18th District after the 1970s redistricting.
  • ^5 Brown's 17th District was renumbered the 13th District after the 1990s redistricting.
  • ^6 Allen and Setencich were Republican Assemblymembers whom Democrats elected after losing their majority in the chamber.
  • ^7 Perez's 46th District was renumbered the 53rd District after the 2010s redistricting.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Leader in Allen Recall Pleads Guilty to Vote Fraud". LA Times. 1996-03-12. Archived from the original on April 10, 2017.
  2. ^ "Constitution of California: Article V, Section 10". California Legislature. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  3. ^ "Government Code, Article 5.5, Section 12058 — Succession to the Office of Governor". California Legislature. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  4. ^ "Government Code, Article 5.5, Section 12061 — Succession to the Office of Governor in the Event of War or Enemy-Caused Disaster". California Legislature. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
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